Six Story Office-and-Residential Complex on North Lake Ave. Slated to Go Before Planning Commission

Pasadena’s Planning Commission on Wednesday is likely to approve a Conditional Use Permit for a new six-story mixed-use project at 83 North Lake Avenue in Pasadena, currently a strip mall on the southwest corner with Union Street.

The new buildings, when completed, will contain 54 residential units, 100,898 square feet of office space, 7,852 square feet of retail sales, 3,540 square feet of restaurant space, and 362 parking spaces

A Conditional Use Permit is required when the nonresidential portion of a mixed-use project exceeds 25,000 square feet.

In a report for the Planning Commission, the Pasadena Department of Planning and Community Development said the applicant, Singpoli BD Development, LLC, plans to build a pair of six-story towers at the southwest corner of Lake Avenue and Union Street, with a portion of the site extending through and fronting Hudson Avenue on the west.

The project site is currently occupied by three separate single-story commercial buildings and a surface parking lot which will be demolished and replaced by the proposed project.

In July 2017, the Pasadena City Council went over a previous proposal by the same applicant on the site, which involved building a 216,100 square-foot mixed-use project with 97 dwelling units, a 139-room hotel, 7,055 square feet of commercial retail, and 10,300 square feet of commercial restaurant.

After several City Council members expressed concerns with the architectural design and other features, the applicant was prompted to submit a new PPR (Pre-Development Plan Review) for a revised project.

According to the revised project, an eastern tower would be constructed fronting Lake Avenue, wrapping around onto Union Street for a depth of about 100 feet. The tower will be for nonresidential uses, with restaurants, retail sales and a common office lobby on the ground floor and office uses occupying the five floors above.

A western tower will be built with a residential lobby on the ground floor and the other five floors devoted to residential units.

The Planning Department report showed residential amenities, including an outdoor pool and an enclosed pool house would be located on the western tower in proximity to Hudson Avenue. Vehicular access to the site will be provided via new drive approaches from Union Street and Hudson Avenue. The existing vehicular access along Lake Avenue would be closed, the report added.

In recommending approval of the Conditional Use Permit, the Planning Department listed a number of conditions of approval, which the applicant or successor shall comply with. Among these are that the site plan, floor plans, parking level plans, elevations and building sections shall conform to the plans submitted earlier and stamped “approved” during the October 23, 2019 hearing for the project; the right granted under the Conditional Use Permit, when granted, must be enacted within 36 months from the effective date of approval.

At any time, the City’s Zoning Administrator can also call for a review of the approved conditions at a public hearing before the Planning Commission, if there are grounds for revocation or modification of the CUP.

Before any Certificate of Occupancy is issued, a Final Zoning Inspection will also be conducted for the project, according to the conditions for approval.

The meeting of the Planning Commission on Wednesday begins at 6:30 p.m. at the City Council chambers at City Hall.